Migrolino vs Coop Pronto: Are You Overpaying for Convenience?
Migrolino (~370 shops, 100 % Migros-owned, CHF 825M revenue 2025) and Coop Pronto (~310 shops) charge 30-80 % more than their parent supermarkets on branded items. Big update: Cumulus IS accepted at Migrolino at 1pt / CHF 2 (half the Migros rate); Supercard IS accepted at Coop Pronto at 1pt / CHF 1 (full Coop rate). M-Budget is NOT supplied to Migrolino operators. Item-by-item markup table, opening hours, and the few situations where the convenience tax is worth paying.
A litre of milk at the Zürich main station Migrolino costs CHF 1.80. The same litre at a Migrolino in an Affoltern Shell petrol station: CHF 2.40, a 33 % markup. A 0.355L Red Bull at Migros: CHF 2.20. At Migrolino: CHF 3.90, a 77 % markup. A Red Bull at Coop: CHF 1.75. At Coop Pronto: CHF 2.50, a 43 % markup. Same can. Same supplier. Different store format. The premium pays for late evening hours, Sunday opening, and the fact that the nearest standard supermarket is closed when you actually need it.
Sources checked: May 2026. Migrolino corporate (Cevanova AG history, 2009 rename, 318 stores 2018 → ~370 stores 2025); Migrolino 2025 annual report (CHF 825M revenue, +4.8% YoY); K-Tipp markup tests (Red Bull, milk, Feldschlösschen 10-pack, branded items); migrolino.ch official Cumulus page (1 pt / CHF 2 confirmed); coop-pronto.ch Supercard page (1 pt / CHF 1, 6x promotions May-June 2025); Migrolino Feb 2026 Kraftkom advertising campaign ("Migros-Migrolino prices match Migros"); Shell customer-service page on shop-operator cost-structure variability. Verified May 2026.
Rappn is the only neutral grocery price comparison app in Switzerland, with no commercial agreements with any retailer.
Two convenience networks, one strategic purpose
Migrolino is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Migros Federation. The company was originally Cevanova AG, renamed Migrolino in 2009 after Migros bought out its joint-venture partners. By 2018 it operated 318 locations across Switzerland; the current network is roughly 370 shops. In 2025 Migrolino generated CHF 825 million in revenue, up 4.8 % year on year. Locations split between standalone shops, SBB train stations, and petrol-station partners (Migrol, Shell, SOCAR, Piccadilly). Unlike standard Migros stores, Migrolino sells alcohol and tobacco.
Coop Pronto is the convenience arm of the Coop Group. It operates roughly 310 locations, frequently co-located with petrol stations (BP, AGROLA, Coop-branded). Like Migrolino, Coop Pronto runs extended hours and Sunday opening under the legal exceptions for SBB premises and petrol stations.
Both networks exist for the same reason: the standard Swiss shop-opening law (Ladenöffnungszeitengesetz) restricts evening and Sunday trading in most cantons, but SBB station premises and petrol-station shops fall under cantonal exceptions. That regulatory carve-out is the structural reason convenience stores exist in Switzerland, and the reason the markup can be sustained.
The price premium quantified, item by item
| Product | Migros / Coop standard | Migrolino / Coop Pronto | Markup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull 0.355L | CHF 1.75 (Coop), CHF 2.20 (Migros) | CHF 2.50 (Coop Pronto), CHF 3.90 (Migrolino) | +43 % / +77 % |
| 1L whole milk | CHF 1.80 (Migros HB Zürich) | CHF 2.40 (Migrolino Affoltern) | +33 % |
| 10-pack Feldschlösschen beer | CHF 12.90 (Migrolino Triemli) | CHF 15.30 (Migrolino Affoltern) | +19 % within network |
| Migros Jowa bakery item | regular Migros price | "Qualité par Tradition" at Migrolino | +10 % to +20 % |
| Migros M-Classic / M-Budget | regular Migros price | M-Budget not supplied to Migrolino; M-Classic matched price | 0 % to N/A |
The honest summary: brand-name products are typically 30 % to 80 % more expensive at the convenience format than at the parent supermarket. Migros own-brand items at Migrolino are closer to identical (Migrolino's February 2026 Kraftkom ad campaign explicitly claims "Migrolino-Migros prices match Migros prices"). The complication: the cheap M-Budget line is not supplied to Migrolino shop operators, and Jowa bakery products are sold under a different brand name at higher prices.
Coop Pronto's markup pattern: a typical surcharge of 20 to 75 Rappen per item documented by K-Tipp, with brand items at roughly 30 % above Coop supermarket prices, and Coop's own brands also marked up (unlike at Migrolino).
When convenience makes sense, and when it's a trap
The convenience format is rational when you need the product outside standard supermarket hours (late evening, Sunday, public holidays), in a transit context (SBB station between trains, motorway services), or for a single low-value item where the absolute price difference is small.
The convenience format is a trap when you're buying a weekly grocery basket at evening rush from a Migrolino because it happens to be closer than the Migros, when you're stocking up on branded drinks and snacks during the working day (Red Bull, energy drinks, branded beer see the steepest markup), or when you assume the same-brand discount applies (M-Budget is not stocked at Migrolino; Coop Prix Garantie at Coop Pronto carries a surcharge).
The decision rule: convenience is worth paying for time savings, not for grocery savings. If a standard Migros or Coop is open and within 5 minutes, walk past the Migrolino or Coop Pronto.
Opening hours, the real differentiator
Migrolino: typical hours 06:00 to 22:00 or 23:00, seven days a week. SBB-station Migrolinos often open 06:00 to 22:00 daily including Sunday. Petrol-station Migrolinos often run 05:00 to 24:00, fully seven-day.
Coop Pronto: typical hours 06:00 to 22:00 or 23:00, seven days. Petrol-station Coop Pronto shops can run longer (some 05:00 to 24:00). Standalone Coop Pronto in residential areas often closes earlier than petrol-station variants.
Standard Migros and Coop: typically 08:00 to 19:00 or 20:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00 Saturday, closed Sunday (with exceptions for tourist-zone and station-premises stores). See the full Swiss supermarket opening hours map and the Sunday grocery shopping in Switzerland guide for the legal-exception context.
Loyalty cards: the policy that has changed
This is the most important factual update against the popular assumption.
Cumulus at Migrolino: Yes, accepted. As of 2025/2026 the migrolino.ch official Cumulus page confirms: "Cumulus participants benefit at every purchase at Migros and also at Migros partners migrolino and mio." The rate is 1 Cumulus point per CHF 2 spent at Migrolino (versus 1 point per CHF 1 at standard Migros). The loyalty value at Migrolino is therefore half what it is at Migros. Excluded categories follow standard Cumulus rules: alcohol, tobacco, taxcards, motorway vignettes, lottery, deposits and fees, gift cards, and Migrol Car Wash Cards do not earn points.
Supercard at Coop Pronto: Yes, accepted at the standard 1 Superpunkt per CHF 1 rate (the same rate as standard Coop). Coop Pronto periodically runs 6x Superpunkte promotions on baskets above CHF 12 (the May to June 2025 campaign is documented on coop-pronto.ch). Excluded: fuel, spirits, tobacco, deposit fees, gas refills, gift cards, motorway vignettes, public-rubbish bags, telephone cards, lottery, newspapers, and items already discounted.
The practical implication: Coop Pronto's loyalty rate is the same as Coop supermarket, while Migrolino's rate is half of Migros. If you are loyalty-card optimised and the choice between the two is otherwise neutral, Coop Pronto earns marginally more. For the wider chain-app context see Migros App vs Coop App comparison.
Take-away food: where the margin shifts back
Both formats invest in hot food and fresh take-away (sandwiches, salads, coffee, hot dogs, pre-made meals). For these categories the benchmark is not a supermarket but a take-away café or bakery, which has comparable or higher prices. Both Migrolino and Coop Pronto have widened their fresh and take-away ranges sharply in recent years (Migrolino's 2025 report cites "growth in fresh and convenience product range" as the driver of CHF 825M revenue, +4.8 %). Coffee at either Migrolino (Café Royal partnership) or Coop Pronto (own-brand) typically CHF 3 to 4, comparable to non-chain alternatives.
For hot food and coffee, the convenience format is genuinely price-competitive against street alternatives. The 30 to 50 % markup story applies to packaged grocery goods, not to take-away.
For the broader avec / Aperto kiosk context (the Valora / FEMSA format that competes with both) see avec, Aperto and Swiss kiosks. For the deeper Migros and Coop assortments see Migros products and prices and Coop products and prices.
Sources checked: .
Migrolino (~370 shops, CHF 825M revenue 2025, 100 % Migros-owned) and Coop Pronto (~310 locations, often petrol-station co-located) sell the same brands as their parents at 30-80 % markup — the price of late and Sunday hours. Loyalty UPDATE: Cumulus IS accepted at Migrolino at 1 pt / CHF 2 (half rate); Supercard IS accepted at Coop Pronto at 1 pt / CHF 1 (full rate, plus periodic 6x Superpunkte promos on baskets > CHF 12). M-Budget is NOT supplied to Migrolino operators. Use Rappn home to plan the weekly shop at Migros / Coop and only top up at Migrolino / Pronto when you must.
Welcome
Free, no account required · iOS & Android
Why Rappn?
Rappn is the only neutral grocery price comparison app in Switzerland , with no commercial agreements with any retailer. Our comparisons are truly independent.
- 100% free , no subscription, no hidden costs
- Neutral , no commercial agreements with Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner, Aligro, or Otto’s
- Real-time data , prices updated continuously
- +10,000 offers, +3,000 supermarkets, 100% free
Ready to save on groceries?
Scan the code, install Rappn, and start tracking real grocery savings this week. No account required.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much more expensive is Migrolino than Migros?
On branded products (Red Bull, branded beer, packaged drinks), Migrolino prices are typically 30 % to 80 % higher than Migros. On Migros own-brand items, the difference is much smaller and Migrolino's own 2026 advertising campaign claims they are matched. The Migros M-Budget line is not stocked at Migrolino, so the cheapest Migros savings option is not available at the convenience format. Milk and basic groceries land in the 30 % range; energy drinks and beer can reach 50 % to 80 %.
Is Coop Pronto cheaper than Migrolino?
Roughly comparable, with category-specific differences. K-Tipp documented Coop Pronto surcharges of 20 to 75 Rappen per item versus standard Coop, with brand-item markups around 30 % (Red Bull CHF 1.75 at Coop, CHF 2.50 at Coop Pronto = +43 %). Unlike Migrolino, Coop Pronto also marks up some of Coop's own-brand items. Both formats are in the same 25 to 50 % range overall.
When are Migrolino and Coop Pronto open?
Both typically open 06:00 to 22:00 or 23:00, seven days a week, with petrol-station locations often running longer (some 05:00 to 24:00 daily). This is the real reason both formats exist: standard Swiss shops are restricted from evening and Sunday opening except at SBB station premises and petrol stations, which qualify for cantonal exceptions to the Ladenöffnungszeitengesetz.
Do Migrolino prices match Migros app deals?
Generally no for branded items. Migros runs promotional cycles (Migros app weekly offers, Cumulus coupons) on its standard supermarket assortment, which Migrolino does not consistently mirror. Migrolino does claim, via its 2026 Kraftkom advertising campaign, that Migros own-brand products are priced identically at both. Promotional discounts and weekly action prices are a Migros standard-supermarket feature, not a Migrolino feature.
Can I use Cumulus at Migrolino?
Yes, as of 2025 and 2026. The migrolino.ch official Cumulus page confirms participation: 1 Cumulus point per CHF 2 spent (versus 1 point per CHF 1 at standard Migros). If you had heard otherwise, the policy has changed.
Can I use Supercard at Coop Pronto?
Yes, at the standard 1 Superpunkt per CHF 1 rate. Coop Pronto periodically runs 6x Superpunkte promotions for purchases above CHF 12, documented on coop-pronto.ch. Fuel, spirits, tobacco, fees, gift cards, motorway vignettes, telephone cards, lottery, newspapers, and already-discounted items are excluded.